Moonlander vs Fatboy

Originally Posted by bdundee

Not wanting to be argumentative but to buy both bikes at about the same retail then have to stick $1000 into one to make it about the same weight doesn't really seem to make a lot of sense. Please don't get me wrong I have had 2 Pugs (loved them) and still have one but really what is there to gain from one choosing that route?

If one were to have a passionate hate for Specialized, then that's your answer. Not that anyone in this forum does, just thinking out loud ;-)

My moony is all about my comfort and weight be damned. I can ride faster and over more than I did on any of my fatbikes. The moonlander just feels right. If you care about weight it's not the bike for you.

Sure I could save weight but my parts are chosen for my comfort. Where is the real difference? 2-3 lbs heavier in the frame?

And hay build a moonlander from the frame up like I did. This way you get exactly what you want.

Not wanting to be argumentative but to buy both bikes at about the same retail then have to stick $1000 into one to make it about the same weight doesn't really seem to make a lot of sense. Please don't get me wrong I have had 2 Pugs (loved them) and still have one but really what is there to gain from one choosing that route?

Not buying Specialized and I wouldn't spend $1K extra on a Moonlander. I would just ride it.

Not wanting to be argumentative but to buy both bikes at about the same retail then have to stick $1000 into one to make it about the same weight doesn't really seem to make a lot of sense. Please don't get me wrong I have had 2 Pugs (loved them) and still have one but really what is there to gain from one choosing that route?

Oh, I was actually getting a bit off-topic because I didn't even think of comparison between the two. Volsung made a claim and cozz questioned it, so I figured that I'd shed some light on the subject of Moonlander and weight.

If you want a light bike, indeed the Specialized is much more cost-effective.

A reasonably light Moonlander could be built from parts for less than a complete + upgrades afterwards, so the cost or weight should not be exaggerated. But in this department it has the shorter straw against Specialized.

After reading this thread I got curious about my bike's weight and weighed my Moonlander.

For the sake of this discussion and as a point of reference, my Moonie weighs in at 30.14 lbs

Is that an 18" frame? I think the big weight loss tool is the Carver carbon fork, correct? I'd love to get my Moonlander down some... I was at 36 lbs last I checked... but running stock fork, heavy surly toobs, and 203 front rotor that isn't exactly light.

Swapping forks resulting in a loss of 558 grams or (1.23 lbs) assuming you don't cut your steer-tube. Stock Moonlander fork weight is published as 1150 grams (2.535 lbs), my Carver fork weighed in at 592 grams (1.305 lbs), 14 g. over Carver's published weight of 578 grams. Inconsistency in the surface of post mounts on the Carver fork prevented me from mounting my front brake, the pads were impossible to get parallel to the rotor. Also the Carver fork changed the geometry of the Moonlander, due to longer A-C.

So getting back to the Fatboy vs. Moonlander question; if having a lightish 4.8" tire fatbike is your goal, the Fatboy is 'less grams for the $$$' straight out of the box, with the advantage of a complete bike with all parts designed from the ground up to function well together (and possibly better quality control). Personally, I like working on bikes, testing, tinkering, and swapping parts around, changing the mannerisms and performance of the bike. With the Moonlander, I will likely be throwing the steel fork back on and adding an Alfine 8 within the next year, which will bring it back up to the neighborhood of 40 lbs.

Is that an 18" frame? I think the big weight loss tool is the Carver carbon fork, correct? I'd love to get my Moonlander down some... I was at 36 lbs last I checked... but running stock fork, heavy surly toobs, and 203 front rotor that isn't exactly light.

A 203mm on a moonie ? Could you post a pic of that setup on the carver fork ?
Did it work on the ML fork ?

Love the fact that I have found this tread as I am on my way to my local dealer on friday who sells Spesh and Surly. I am in the exact same boat. Moonlander or a Fatboy expert.
My Question is to all the Moonlander owners is this. What is the Weight of a stock complete?
Spesh is claiming 30lbs without pedals I have heard a stock Moonlander is 40lbs.
This is going to be a wet coast bike on Vancouver Island and used as a winter fun bike and a camping dad bike with my girls in the summer. Most of my riding will be under two hours in the winter time and limited snow due to very mild winters.
Any Advice?
A stock fatboy expert and a stock Moonlander are about the same price.
Do I roll the dice on a first gen Fatboy having never seen one with 4.6 tires
or
Do I roll the dice on a Moonlander having never seen one (rare breed)with 4.8 tires.
If it helps I am 190lbs and just a normal run of the mill joe average BC trail rider.
Thanks in Advance

Love the fact that I have found this tread as I am on my way to my local dealer on friday who sells Spesh and Surly. I am in the exact same boat. Moonlander or a Fatboy expert.
My Question is to all the Moonlander owners is this. What is the Weight of a stock complete?
Spesh is claiming 30lbs without pedals I have heard a stock Moonlander is 40lbs.
This is going to be a wet coast bike on Vancouver Island and used as a winter fun bike and a camping dad bike with my girls in the summer. Most of my riding will be under two hours in the winter time and limited snow due to very mild winters.
Any Advice?
A stock fatboy expert and a stock Moonlander are about the same price.
Do I roll the dice on a first gen Fatboy having never seen one with 4.6 tires
or
Do I roll the dice on a Moonlander having never seen one (rare breed)with 4.8 tires.
If it helps I am 190lbs and just a normal run of the mill joe average BC trail rider.
Thanks in Advance

In the end ultimately only you can make that decision but I would not hesitate to buy a first year run from Spesh especially an aluminum HT. It's a tough call but if it was me I would look towards the Spesh.

Love the fact that I have found this tread as I am on my way to my local dealer on friday who sells Spesh and Surly. I am in the exact same boat. Moonlander or a Fatboy expert.
My Question is to all the Moonlander owners is this. What is the Weight of a stock complete?
Spesh is claiming 30lbs without pedals I have heard a stock Moonlander is 40lbs.
This is going to be a wet coast bike on Vancouver Island and used as a winter fun bike and a camping dad bike with my girls in the summer. Most of my riding will be under two hours in the winter time and limited snow due to very mild winters.
Any Advice?
A stock fatboy expert and a stock Moonlander are about the same price.
Do I roll the dice on a first gen Fatboy having never seen one with 4.6 tires
or
Do I roll the dice on a Moonlander having never seen one (rare breed)with 4.8 tires.
If it helps I am 190lbs and just a normal run of the mill joe average BC trail rider.
Thanks in Advance

Where are you on Van Isle? You are welcome to come by and check out my Pugs in Victoria and discuss island fat biking options. It's rolling on Big Fat Larrys and 82mm rims.